shackle
Americannoun
-
a ring or other fastening, as of iron, for securing the wrist, ankle, etc.; fetter.
-
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
-
the U -shaped bar of a padlock, one end of which is pivoted or sliding, the other end of which can be released, as for passing through a staple, and then fastened, as for securing a hasp.
-
any of various fastening or coupling devices.
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Often shackles. anything that serves to prevent freedom of procedure, thought, etc.
- Synonyms:
- encumbrance, impediment, obstruction, obstacle
verb (used with object)
-
shackles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shackled,
past participle, past
-
shackling
present participle
-
to put a shackle or shackles on; confine or restrain by a shackle or shackles.
-
to fasten or couple with a shackle.
-
to restrain in action, thought, etc., as by restrictions; restrict the freedom of.
noun
-
(often plural) a metal ring or fastening, usually part of a pair used to secure a person's wrists or ankles; fetter
-
(often plural) anything that confines or restricts freedom
-
a rope, tether, or hobble for an animal
-
a U-shaped bracket, the open end of which is closed by a bolt ( shackle pin ), used for securing ropes, chains, etc
verb
-
to confine with or as if with shackles
-
to fasten or connect with a shackle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shacklesimple
-
shacklessimple
-
have shackledperfect
-
has shackledperfect
-
am shacklingprogressive
-
are shacklingprogressive
-
is shacklingprogressive
-
have been shacklingperfect progressive
-
has been shacklingperfect progressive
Past
-
shackledsimple
-
had shackledperfect
-
was shacklingprogressive
-
were shacklingprogressive
-
had been shacklingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shackle
before 1000; (noun) Middle English schakle, schakyl ( le ); Old English sceacel fetter; cognate with Low German schakel hobble, Old Norse skǫkull wagon pole, (v.) late Middle English schaklyn, derivative of the noun
Explanation
Handcuffs are shackles. So are those leg irons some prisoners wear when they appear in court. In other words, a shackle is a restraint, either physical or psychological, that restricts movement. We generally think of shackles as some sort of heavy metal cuff that is used to keep prisoners in check. But shackles don't have to be physical. Ignorance can be a shackle, so can an abusive family member, or the economy. In those cases, shackles are an external force that keep you from doing or being everything you want to. You can't see those shackles, but they can be every bit as confining as the metal cuffs.
Vocabulary lists containing shackle
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I heard you were calm and even smiled when it was announced—an act of defiance to tell them they might have your body but will never shackle your spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
The shackle was attached to a metal pole on the bench.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2023
"The government continues to shackle the companies and will not allow them to put forward a package that can settle this dispute," he added.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2023
"This is a chemical shackle on generations of children that are going to be born into these communities if you don't clean up this lead."
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2023
“Exit here and head east on Fillmore . . .” I obsessed on the subject until the bangle on my wrist felt like an iron shackle from some medieval dungeon.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
This team feels more resilient and freed from the shackles of disappointment.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
"Whether they are girls or boys, I hope they can break free from the shackles of gender and do what they truly want to do."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
On June 24, Serrano was put on a plane in shackles and flown from Miami to Caracas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
In response to questions from ProPublica, a DHS spokesperson said in a statement that despite the shackles, Garcia Venegas was “NOT detained.”
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
I throwed my hands up and said, “Sir, I ain’t looking to chain no one. I wants to know how much you gonna charge me to take their shackles offen ’em?”
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
His feet were shackled and he held his hands behind his back, although US marshals had not handcuffed him.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Even those atas who try to break away often find themselves shackled to their old masters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
A 65-year-old British woman named Karen Newman traveling on a valid tourist visa was arrested in September 2025 at the Montana border, shackled and held for six weeks in an ICE detention center.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
On May 10 in a Damascus courtroom, Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin, sat shackled in a metal cage dressed in a drab striped prison uniform.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
The god’s wrists were shackled in icy manacles, with chains that ran straight into the glacier floor.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
Timber is relishing the challenge of shackling Kane on the former Tottenham star's return to north London.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
“First, the shackling of a spectator at a hearing who is not engaged in threatening or disorderly behavior exceeds the authority of a district judge,” the panel wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2024
According to the records, Thompson fought back, and additional officers flooded the area, handcuffing and shackling him.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2023
State courts concluded that Davenport’s shackling didn’t affect the case’s outcome.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 21, 2022
I looked at the door where the sheriff was shackling her husband.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
